The invention relates generally to a protective liner for use with head wear. In particular, the invention is directed to a way of keeping hard hats, or users thereof, free of body oil, hair, dandruff and the like.
Prior art liners of various sorts have been used to protect hats from being soiled. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,077,833 to Houghton shows a removable sanitary hat lining which includes several plies of tissue paper held in place by a metal hoop with inwardly projecting fingers. The fingers engage apertures in a ring or band at the bottom edge of the paper plies.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,716,269 shows a detachable, ventilated hat lining which is adjustable. The lining is intended to be held in place by sharp pins bent to securely fasten the liner to a hat.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,852,930 shows a flat cellophane protective hat liner which is folded into position inside of a hat. The liner is held in place behind the sweatband of the hat being lined.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,986,312 shows a hat liner which protects only the sweatband of a hat.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,478,550 shows a liner for hats which includes a stiff base and a transparent crown. The liner is not intended to be attached to the hat with which it is used.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,069,690 shows a liner for a hat which is intended to be permanently attached to the interior of a hat by an adhesive.
Visitors to manufacturing plants and construction sites are usually required by law to wear protective headwear or hard hats. Plant managers and construction site supervisors generally keep a supply of hard hats on hand for use by such visitors. Keeping the hard hats clean is a significant problem. Hair care products, body oil, perspiration, and other unsanitary residue can quickly build up inside a hard hat which is used by various visitors. Hard hats generally have a somewhat complex support framework which is intended to cushion the user's head from impact. Such framework has a large number of surfaces on which residue can accumulate, and the framework is difficult to clean.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide means for preventing the buildup of residue on the inside of hard hats.
Another object of the invention is to prevent the spread of diseases, such as disease of the scalp, or unsanitary residue between users of hard hats.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive disposable liner for hard hats.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a disposable liner for hard hats which is comfortable to wear.
Another object of the invention is to provide a disposable liner for hard hats which is easily installed into and easily removed from a hard hat.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a liner for hard hats which is comfortable, breathable and moisture absorbent.
These and other objects of the invention are achieved with a liner made from a generally concave sheet of flaccid material. The liner has a top and downwardly extending sides. The shape is designed to loosely fit on the inside of a hard hat. The sides are elongated so that they may be folded into engagement with a hard hat and its framework. In order to make sure the liner is held in position inside the hard hat, a segment of the downwardly depending side of the liner is gathered and or pleated and attached to an elastic strip. The elastic strip, in conjunction with the gathered segment, allows the lower edge of the liner to resiliently grip the hard hat and framework.